A Day "Sans Gluten"

GUEST BLOGGER: Anthony Goodman 

Here’s my journey into living a day “Sans Gluten”.

     It all started off like any other. Woke up, took a shower, brushed my teeth, put some clothes on, and walked out the door. Heading to one of my favorite meals of the day. Breakfast. Living in the dorms and eating at the cafeteria you always know what to expect to be on the menu. Some eggs, bacon, grits, potatoes, biscuits, maybe some gravy, and a pretty good mix of cereal if you choose to live the simple life. I went into it safe and only grabbed some eggs, bacon, and pineapple for myself. Not a bad start!

     First meal survived.
     All was honky dory and I went to my morning classes. Outside of stressing a little about my World Cinema final nothing seemed out of the ordinary even considering my “dietary restrictions”. That’s when lunch hit.
     
     It was all spinach and no bread rolls. A positive on the garbonzo beans negative on the chicken. With grape and without potatoes. My friends looked at my plate and scoffed, “You watching your figure bro?”. Nope, just gluten free!

     After that catastrophe I headed out to my editing class and grabbed a Strawberry Banana Naked drink from the Pickle Jar. Didn’t know if I could handle the next hours until dinner without some sort of pick-me-up.

     #thestruggle     
     After we got out of class I headed back to the dorm to do some studying for the final and just chilled in the dorms, dreading being disappointed in the cafe again. It hit 6pm and I met up with my buddy to go eat together. On the walk to, we passed by a student life table that had cupcakes set up, free to take. The Lord has answered my prayers! I run over, there’s vanilla and chocolate, I sign the sheet, take my chocolate cupcake, and begin to unravel the paper wrapper around my soon to be delicious delight. I bring the cupcake to my mouth as I hear from the corner of my ear, “is that gluten-free?” from my buddy.

     It obviously wasn’t.
     Now I’m in from of this student life worker having just taken one of his free cupcakes and my buddy won’t eat it for me. I resort to bringing it to the cafeteria and throwing into the nearest trash can. Such a sad day.

     Thankfully there’s a good choice of strawberries, blueberries, pork, and green beans to get me through the final, but not my ideal meal by far. I’m hear now today to say that I survived a day “Sans Gluten” and may even do it again if I had the ability to make my own meals as the cafe is in no way conducive to that sort of lifestyle.

     Throughout my journey I also researched a few tools to possibly help me and came across this link that gives you the low-down in starting a gluten-free diet. 

http://www.glutenfreeliving.com/nutrition/the-basic-diet/

     In the same vein I found this paid app for iPhones that is database for all foods gluten-free, it boasts about 29,000 products that you can look up which is a great tool when you’re in a crisis of life or death like I was.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/is-that-gluten-free/id324483597

     When it was all said and done, all I can say is that I have such a greater respect for the people that have to live a gluten-free life due to health issues or dietary choices. It’s not an easy thing to do knowing all the yummy things you used to have. And for me, unless fate chooses otherwise, it’s a gluten-full life I’ll live.

Best of the Best

Udi's, one of the BEST GF food companies did a study to see the Top 10 Gluten Free Accommodating College Campuses:

1. University of Notre Dame
2. Georgetown University 
3. Iowa State University 
4. University of Arizona 
5. Emory University 
6. University of Connecticut
7. Ithaca College
8. Carleton College
9. University of New Hampshire 
10. Clark University 

Shocker UNCSA was not included...wait no it is not. I got off the meal plan my freshmen year Winter Term! But in order to do that I had to go visit the old school nutritionist and that was something. She asked me what I ate everyday and I said chickpeas, cucumbers, hummus,and a little ranch. She looked at me and said you might want to cut back on the ranch it really is not healthy for you. Well thanks! And the cafeteria does gluten-free day I hear and it makes me mad because if you do not want to put the effort into getting the best GF food possible don't give it to college students.My friends won't try some GF food because they got scared by the cafe, and that is a terrible representation.

I was looking around the internet and I found this amazing website. That for the past three years people have been voting on their favorite GF products, I even learned about products I didn't even know even were out there.

 3rd Annual Gluten-Free Awards Winners:

Best Gluten-Free Beer:

 Ommision - Need to try these...

Best Gluten-Free Blog:

 Gluten-free-girl

          Maybe mine next year...fingers crossed! 

Best Gluten-Free Breakfast On-The-Go:

Udi's Blueberry Muffin Top- 

   I had never heard of these before looking at these awards but I am pretty certain this has to be one of the best ideas ever. Because EVERYONE knows the top of the muffin is the best part!









Best Gluten-Free Cold Cereal:Honey Nut Rice Chex- Really any of the GF Chex cereals are perfection. You can also make all the fun classic Chex recipes with the GF Chex. And the Cinnamon Chex taste just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch! 

Best Gluten-Free Cracker:

Blue Diamond Nut Thins- Perfect for cheese and crackers! 

Best Gluten-Free Dessert Mix:Pamela's Chocolate Chip Cookies Mix- These cookies have an amazing texture, and the chocolate chunks melt in your mouth. All you need to do is add butter and eggs!

Best Gluten-Free Comfort Food:

Amy's Rice Mac & Cheese- OMG sooo good! The cheese is the same one that made their regular Mac and Cheese so popular!

Best Gluten-Free Frozen Pancake and Waffles:

Van's Gluten Free Waffles- These are great to have in your freezer if you need a quick bite!

Best Gluten-Free Mobile App:

Find Me Gluten Free
That is the app that one but these were the runner ups:

    Is That Gluten-Free?

    ScanAvert

I included all of these because I had never before heard of a GF app and I am excited to check them out! 

Best Gluten-Free Website:

Celiac.com

Best Gluten-Free National Restaurant Chain:

P.F Changs- We have talked about how amazing they are few times now! 

Best Gluten-Free Pancake & Waffle Mix: 

Pamela's Pancake Mix- I have never tried this before because my Mom makes this amazing batter  from scratch. But I do know that you can use this same mix and make the most amazing cinnamon rolls!

Best Gluten-Free Pasta:

Tinkyard Pasta

Makes the best sandwiches hot or cold!

Best Gluten-Free Ready Made Bread:

Udi's Whole Grain Bread (Udi's is undefeated in this category)- It is literally the perfect GF bread! 

Best Gluten-Free sauce:

San-J Organic Tamari Soy Sauce- Undefeated 

Best Gluten-Free Snack Bar:

KIND Healthy Snack Bars- I could never try these bars the texture freaks me out! 

Best Gluten-Free Vacation Destination:

Disney World- This literally blew my Mind!!! I would have never picked this as the best GF vacation destination... But reading up on it it sounds amazing, I cannot wait to go there now even more! Click Disney World and read this amazing blog entry I found! 

Best Gluten-Free Cosmetics:

Red Apple Lipstick 

Week 10: The Sweet 16 of Saving

Living a gluten-free life style I cannot go to the grocery store and spend less than $8 on crackers and bread... I cannot make those easy less than two dollar means, I have never even tried Ramen. I have to spend more on groceries than the average person. And yeah at times I have to ask people to not eat my snacks because they are literally double or triple the price of regular snacks. And yes my parents constantly worry about how I eat.. I did not choose to be this picky or have to spend more on groceries, but i don't mind it makes eating an adventure. But some have a very negative view on people who are "gluten-free" they do not think it is a real thing, especially with how much of a trend it is in society... or others take a stance like this,  many of you guys have read the comedian Kelly MacLean's story in the Huff Post  "Surviving Whole Foods", here is an excerpt : 

"Next I see the gluten-free section filled with crackers and bread made from various wheat-substitutes such as cardboard and sawdust. I skip this aisle because I'm not rich enough to have dietary restrictions. Ever notice that you don't meet poor people with special diet needs? A gluten intolerant house cleaner?"

Yes this is a comedic article but that is a true stance that I run into with some people and it is a mind blowing, like no I did not choose to have ALL of these dietary restrictions. But I have come accustom to this life and I would not change it. And it does not have to be this uber expensive lifestyle... my shopping can never be done like those Extreme Couponers on TLC (but who really wants half of the food they eat, they are the most processed things)  but here are 
The Sweet 16 of Saving to help you not go broke over food: 

1. Plan out what you want to eat for that week, make a menu and stick to it. This is will help you buy only what you need and nothing extra.

2. Look for naturally gluten-free foods, and stalk up on items such as beans, rice, canned tomatoes, gluten-free pasta, and Quinoa when they go on sale; and/or if you have the opportunity buy in bulk do it! These are staples that you will always need. 

4. Eat more vegetarian meals, cutting down on meat will do wonders, and shakes up what you fix for meals. 

5. Make your own snacks, A lot of the time now a days you are paying more for the packaging then what the actual food inside is worth! Hummus is something that is not too challenging to make and you can have fun inventing different flavors. Also you can make your own dressings and salsas! Then try making your own chips out of stale corn or brown rice tortillas. 

6. Make potatoes a bigger part of your diet, there is an endless possibles of what you can do with them in the kitchen! Use Idaho and Sweet potatoes as stars of a meal rather than just a side dish! Also you can buy them in bulk or go support your local farmers and purchase them. 

7. One of my personal favorites, that I didn't realize how often I was doing it is making breakfast for dinner... I get this incredible GF pie crust from Earth Fare and make quiches regularly, if I can't get those you can never go wrong with a Frittata . Also just making the basic eggs can be a fantastic dinner with some sweet potato hash its perfection. If you are tired though of eggs being prepared the same way over and over again, no fear here is a guide to 100 different ways to prepare eggs. And if eggs are not your style break out the waffle maker and indulge yourself with some pumpkin waffles, french toast, or pancakes... Breakfast has infinite possibilities!

8. Keep your pantry full of Pasta! Even though it is still not as cheap as regular pasta, Ask your grocery store about buying it in bulk and you can receive a case discount that way. 

9. Make your own soups and chilies. This cannot be anymore simple!  Plus you can normally get a couple of meals out of it depending on how big of a pot you make. And they are easy meals to heat up and enjoy in a rush. My all time favorite chili recipe is Vegetarian Quinoa Chili. And if you have left over meat from the night before, put in a chili or chowder, next waste anything there is no need! Also in the Spring and Summer don't forget there are plenty of cold soups to be enjoy, Strawberry Soup is fantastic.  Here are some fantastic soup recipes to browse.

10. Coupons do exist for gluten-free brands but are not circulated as heavy as other coupons. So go to the websites of gluten-free products that you enjoy and sign up to receive their newsletters and coupons. You can even write some companies and ask if coupons are available. Also request free samples of their product. Think about making a separate email account to receive these newsletters and coupons, because some companies email a few a day and you don't want to flood your business email! Here is a blog that is extremely helpful in with Gluten-Free living on a budget with coupons. 

11. Think about your poison... because gluten-free beers and ciders tend to be one the pricer side, switch it up with wine and liquor. You will get the most bang for your buck.

12. Check stores like TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Aldi, and Big Lots! They often carry very nice GF brands and are half the price than grocery stores.

13. The internet is your best friend when it comes to GF living: 

• Amazon has a gluten-free store that offers subscribe and save, sales and manager’s specials.
• Nuts offers gluten-free baking mixes and flours that you can buy in one pound packages or in bulk to save money.
• Vitacost also offers a wide variety of gluten-free goods, specials, and Set and Save pricing on certain items.  (receive $10 off your first $30 purchase with this link)
• Soap has a lot of gluten-free items and offers sales and free shipping over $35.  Use referral code cbuscheap to get 20 percent off your first order.

14. Walmart... Yes I said Walmart, it defiantly depends on where your Walmart is and how new it is, but they have started carrying an impressive amount of GF products throughout the years.  Here is an interesting interview I discovered on Walmart and  their affordable GF food. 

15. Make your own All-Purpose GF flour mix, buy the flour in bulk and keep mixing them together, if not you are wasting like eight bucks for only a few cups of flour.. Try this easy DIY All-Purpose flour recipe. 

16. Organic this Organic that... Throughout the years that word organic has been used by society and food companies in many different ways. The hardest thing to know is if it is truly an organic product, or it is just written there for show! There are certain standards that these organic companies have to follow, but we have all heard the stories... People have been brainwashed in society to think Organic= healthy yes it should, but sadly that is not always the case, so do your homework on brands. Another way that you can make sure that you are getting the freshest produce and bread is to go check out your local farmer's market. If you live in the area of  Winston-Salem NC here is where you can catch your Local Farmer's Market! Sadly the season for farmer's markets is dying down, and you will need to go back to shopping in the grocery stores. Here is a chart that my Mom gave me, it highlights what produce you should buy organically and which are not necessary to spend the extra bucks on... 

Week 9: Welcome to Gluten-free Pizza

Pizza is something that is loved by all! It is an easy thing to make for a group of people, and being gluten-free does not make you an exception by any means!! Y'all already know where to go out and get gluten-free pizza, but nothing can bet homemade pizza, and I promise anyone can make these...

How to make an easy GF Pizza night:

If you are going with the tradition crust you can make your own dough if you have the time and/or patience. The secret though to making a fantastic crust is using a blend of flours not just one... this will improve the taste extraordinary, and will hold the crust stay together better.  

This is one of the best recipes that I have found... CLICK ME!!!!

I know that making dough is not for everyone so you can always go to your local store that sells GF products and pick up a pre-made pizza crust. So all you have to do is add the toppings you desire. 

Pizza in 20 mins with this one

But just like making dough can be unpredictable, crumbly, and have an odd texture if not made properly made you can encounter those same issues with pre-made crusts... The best one that I have found is Udi's Gluten-Free Pizza Crust! Try this one first, if you cannot find it in your local grocery store ( I know Harris Teeter and Whole Foods both carry it regularly) you can easily order it on-line! Other brands to keep an eye out for... 

• Kinnikinnik Gluten-Free Personal Size Pizza Crust & Personal Size Thin Pizza Crust
• The Grainless Baker Thin Pizza Shell
• Gillian’s Gluten-Free Pizza Dough & Pizza Crust
• Katz Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
• Joan’s GF Great Bakes Pizza Crust
• Glutino Premium Pizza Crust
• Nature’s Hilights Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
• Whole Foods’ Gluten-Free Bakehouse Pizza Crust

Easy to bring when others are eating pizza

Week 8: Cider > Beer

        “Do you drink?"

                                                                  "Of course,I just said I was a writer.” 

― Stephen King

People go out to the bars and order beer, its refreshing its simple and the greatest thing almost every bar every night has some type of deal of beer... which is awesome if you can drink beer...  if you can't the cheapest you can buy a well drink or glass of wine is $5, which is not that much but it adds up after awhile! For me though I have never experienced going out to bars and not been gluten free so I do not know the other side of going to be able to go out. It does not bother me expect when someone is being really nice and orders a round of beers for everyone that can get a little uncomfortable, because I am not trying to be rude... but I can't drink it. Another drinking situation that I get into and I wish that I could drink beer and not be difficult is tailgating. My first years in college I would go and was able to drink beers with my friends, but now my body cannot even handle a few sips of beer. It is incredible how your body adjusts to not be exposed to certain things. 

Actually we could start a list of all the times I wish I could drink beer and life would have been/ would be easier:..

1. high school

2. beer bong
3. flip cup
4. actually drink games in general

5. concerts

6. River tubing

7. kegs

8. Can't chip in and buy a case with my friends when broke
9. People think, I think, I am better than beer... I am not if I could drink it I would.
10. When literally there is nothing but beer
 11. People wanna but you a drink and you feel bad ordering a drink that is more expensive than theirs... In general this happens a lot, my 21st birthday early in the night I was feeling bad that all people could buy me was liquor drinks but they were fantastic friends and didn't care! They just wanted me to have a good time, and they understood beer would make me sick. That really is the biggest thing is having people that support you and understand that you are                                                 not choosing or trying to be difficult you really just can't have it!   

CIDER

Something that really has been a saving grace is CIDER! Sometime you do not want liquor or wine and cider hits the spot every time! 

Without a doubt my favorite cider is....

 The 2 standard flavors that will never go away are...

Crisp Apple is without a doubt my favorite!!

They even for awhile made Crisp Apple along with their other popular flavors in cans, and that was the amazing!! Unfortunately I have recently learned that they have been discounted... and even before that new when they were being sold they were impossible to find, which I don't understand why it was so hard to find, it is a brilliant idea!

When a bar has it on tap it is THE BEST DAY EVER!! 

I went on there website and found these awesome flavor profiles on all their flavors! I love the food pairing section.

* All of Angry Orchard are gluten-free and taste delicious!*

Their newest seasonal flavor is....

And it is PERFECT for this time of the year!!!!! If you have ever tasted Fireball Whisky, than imagine exactly that but in a Hard Cider form... 

Pic from this summer 

 
Then this spring/ summer they had Elderflower, and if you guys recall from my NYC post I LOVE LOVE LOVE Elderflower so this summer it was bound to be my jam! I wish that I had tried it with the food pairing that the Flavor Profile suggested, but sadly it is too late it is no longer sold.

Dear Angry Orchard, Please make this available all year long....

                                                                                                                                                                                                

    Angry Orchard is most commonly sold in either a 6-pack of a single flavor or a variety pack which includes:         

                                 Traditional Day, Crisp Apple, Apple Ginger, and then a seasonal flavor... 

When you want still have Angry Orchard but want  it with a twist YOU CAN HAVE IT! 

Sometimes I like to pour mine over ice, twist haha no here are some fun recipes to try...

I am going to share all the gluten-free recipes I saw that I will be trying this week, if you want to venture onto the website  there are more recipes and beware not all are gluten-free some mix beer!

This one I am going to make into a punch when  people come over! 

Making this one tonight, I can't wait! It's  going to be really good or awful.. I'll let you know 

 This is what I think inspired the Cinnfulapple!

Week 7: OMG fast food is the best...said no gluten-free person ever!

Well, I was actually surprised to find out how many fast food chains actually offer a gluten-free menu... I am not sure if maybe for almost all of the time I have know I am gluten-free, I also was a vegetarian so I have never cared much about fast food. But even when I use to go to places such as Subway, and ask if I could get a six inch sub but on a bed a lettuce with the look they would give me you would have thought that I was speaking Greek! So I would repeat, can I get one of your bowls put lettuce on the bottom and then add some vegetables... "I mean I guess, but we will have to charge you more"which I thought was always BS, but whatever. I would like you all to know what I was ordering ten years ago and people thought I was alien is now a staple part of Subway's menu.

The fast food place that GF people often gravitate towards  is Wendy's their baked potatoes, chili, and frosty's are all safe to eat. And depending on which restaurant you have to ask each time if they cook their onion rings in a separate frier as their french fries then those will be gluten-free!

* IN GENREAL FRENCH FRIES ARE GLUTEN-FREE, WHICH MAKES THEM NOT IN SOME RESTAURANT SITUATIONS IS THE FRYERS THAT IS SHARED WITH THE FRIES. IF IT IS STRICTLY JUST FOR FRIES YOU ARE GOLDEN. THE LAST THING THE BE AWARE OF IS THE SEASONING THAT IS SOMETIMES ADDED TO THE TOP OF FREIS.

Fries that are ALWAYS safe to eat at Chick-fil-A and when I do need something quick on the go to eat I choose Chick-fil-A if it is not not Sunday! They offer grilled nuggets or strips which are great also some fantastic salads! I am now realizing I want to list what I like on their gluten-free menu and it basically everything... so here is this instead: http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Food/Allergen-Gluten-Diabetic. They have a website that is wonderfully laid out and easy to use, a feature that they offer is a meal calculator so you can plan your meal in advance and know exactly what you are putting into your body.

          Side note: If you are an avid Chick-fil-A lover and worried about the two cow costumes that were missing from a Southern California Chick-fil-A storage facility... The crook has been caught! 

One of the places that my friends love going that I hate is Panera Bread... I normally just let them go because I like their smoothies and I feel like it is pretty much a game of Russian Roulette trying to eat their because of how much bread is used their, and all the crumbs. But recently I have been hearing buzz about this hidden menu that Panera has had for awhile that is GLUTEN FREE, who would have thunk it! It is really hard to find online and I think if it was not for all the blogs that there is about it I would have NEVER found it! Two of the salads that the menu offers is: The Power Mediterranean Roasted Turkey Salad: All natural, antibiotic-free roasted turkey, baby spinach, romaine, tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil  Power Chicken Mediterranean Salad: All natural antibiotic-free chicken, baby spinach, romaine, tomatoes, apple-wood smoked bacon, diced eggs, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil.  

Power Steak Lettuce Wrap

Those sound good but the one that I really want to try now is The Power Chicken Hummus Bowl: All natural, antibiotic-free chicken, with cilantro jalapeno hummus, baby spinach, cucumbers, diced tomatoes, and red onions finished with fresh squeezed lemon and fresh chopped cilantro! Now try to tell me that does not sound amazing... but I think I am going to try make it instead of buying it because I am kind of obsessed with the Cilantro and Jalapeno Hummus Trader Joe's offers! I am not a huge red meat fan so this does not sound as good to me but I think it is a terrific option. Power Steak Lettuce Wraps: Seared top-sirloin, leaf lettuce, cucumbers, diced tomatoes, and red onions, basil pesto and finished with fresh lemon juice. And from what I have read wrap is a very loose term for this meat... there is so much meat given that most people even up eating it like a salad.

BUT WAIT!! You might not be able to have Panera's delicious bagels in the morning but they do offer shhhh two secret dishes .... The Power Breakfast Egg Bowl with Steak: Two all-natural eggs, seared top sirloin, sliced avocado and tomatoes; and the Power Breakfast Egg White Bowl with Roasted Turkey: Roasted all-natural, antibiotic-free turkey, egg whites, warm baby spinach, roasted peppers, and basil Pesto.

FUN FACT: Panera Bread was featured on the TV show Will and Grace. 

If you have specific questions about where you can go out and eat in your neighborhood I would look you a Celiac club or group in your area they are a fantastic community to lean on and know everything!  Also I found this blog as a great resource. When eating out it is important to know what you are eating and the type of environment that it is prepared in, never hesitate to ask questions! 

Week 6: D-E-S-S-E-R-T for ALL

FUN FACT: Wheat is one of the top eight most common food allergies in America, the others are milk, eggs, shellfish, soy, peanut, and tree nuts. 

Many of you have friends that are vegan, and some that are gluten-free, and you are like ummm here is a fruit salad for dessert! Well I want to give y'all a couple of easy fixes that you can buy and then some easy and different recipes. 

If you are not the baking type no fear, Trader Joe's is here and by here i mean 252 S Stratford Rd, Winston-Salem NC 27103. If not in Winston go to http://www.traderjoes.com/ and find the store near you. 

     Something unique that they carry is the Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles cookie that is free of 8 common food allergies, not sure how they say eight because they list milk, dairy and wheat, gluten, and those are basically the same thing. But any who, even if you do not have any of these allergies they are a must try! My fiends who are completely against healthy eating will down a box of these easily! 

       Joe- Joe's Gluten- Free chocolate vanilla creme cookies are deadly... they are like an Oreo but better... my Mom won't buy them anymore because I killed a box in two days once and she wasn't amused...okay it was one day! They are soooo delicious though so now that I am back at school I bought them once and they lasted a week... I was proud of that self control!Even though they are gluten-free they are not healthy, which many  would think. That's why you always need to read labels. 

Another cookie at Trader Joe's that is perfect for this time of year is their Gluten-Free Ginger Snaps they are perfection!



















Okay so you enjoy baking but don't know even know where to start making a gluten-free baked good...Well Harris Teeter is here to rescue you in their baking section Betty Crocker has some of the most reasonably priced and best tasting GF chocolate chip cookie mix, yellow cake, brownies, and Devil's Food Cake. I always keep one of these mixes in my kitchen.                                       

So you want get crazy? Here are some out of the box recipes that you will not believe...

So sometimes ice cream can contain gluten, and it is not  simple to make homemade ice cream... Well because I also cannot have dairy I found a fantastic VEGAN ice cream recipe! 

The main ingredient is BANANAS!!!!!!

The KEY in making this to have fully frozen VERY RIPE bananas 

Check out the website below for the recipe I use:

http://gentleworld.org/the-magic-of-frozen-bananas/

Then when I was researching other recipes, and other ways to make ice cream I found this and I want to try all of them now...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/amazing-vegan-ice-cream-recipes

Brownies I would normally make from the Betty Crocker mix that I mentioned previously... until I was at the barn, and a Mom was talking about a simple gluten-free brownie recipe with the main  ingredient being BLACK BEANS!!

http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-black-bean-brownies 

That is by far the best recipe that I have found, and I know that is sounds freaky but it is delicious and sooo much healthier than now brownies... It is definitely worth a try!!